


Not His Year

by esperink



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Gen, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Pre-Canon, Pre-Squip, Rich-centric, how to tag, lowkey angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-03
Updated: 2018-05-03
Packaged: 2019-05-01 14:28:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14522625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/esperink/pseuds/esperink
Summary: Rich Goranski is tired.





	Not His Year

**Author's Note:**

> ignore the shitty title. I got this fic idea last night and it wouldn't quiet until I wrote something about it.

Freshman year had been a disaster. He was still all alone, despite how positive he tried to remain about the future. He still had minimal or no friends, and he still had no way to deal with his father.

Rich was tired.

He was tired of being alone. He wanted friends. Friends like the pair he’d see some days during lunch. The Mell kid and the Heere kid, who always had each others’ backs.

The Mell kid sometimes talked to Rich. He sat next to him in English class. He had glanced over when Rich raised his hand when the teacher had called, “Richard Goranski?”

Rich stared back at the other until the kid raised his hand at “Michael Mell?”

Then Michael turned away and started focusing on the paper syllabus in front of him, and Rich did the same.

Rich felt they had come to an understanding of some sort, that day. An understanding only losers could really feel.

Still, he envied Mell’s and Heere’s friendship. How long had it been? Michael had mentioned something about it…

Ten years. A whole decade.

He was jealous.

Really, who had that sort of thing Freshman year?

Michael sat with him sometimes, when Jeremy wasn’t at school due to health issues or some other thing Rich couldn’t be bothered to remember. Michael sometimes invited Rich to their table, but Rich knew that Michael preferred to sit with Jeremy alone, so he rarely took him up on the offer.

Michael and Jeremy were losers, sure, but they were losers who had a friend.

Rich was a loser who had none.

And he was tired of it.

So when he heard about something that would help, something that would make his life _better_ and more _bearable_ , he decided to check it out.

It was a thing called a SQUIP, the man at the Payless had told him. It was quantum technology. A mini supercomputer that implanted in your brain and told you exactly what to do to get exactly what you wanted. It was 400 dollars, but it would be worth it.

He worked on himself, with the SQUIP’s help, over the summer. He listened to every single thing the SQUIP told him. It made living at home with his father almost bearable, because he didn’t have to be home often if he was at the gym or meeting new people. He considered that maybe the way the SQUIP spoke to him wasn’t very nice, but he was used to it.

Sophomore year. This would be his year, he decided.

He’d changed a lot over the summer. He’d switched out his glasses for contacts. He’d gotten a haircut (no more floppy hair to get into his eyes). His wardrobe had definitely changed, from graphic tees and sweatshirts to muscle shirts.

This would be his year.

He spotted Michael and Jeremy standing next to their lockers, involved in an animated conversation. Rich was tempted to wave or say Hi, or even join in.

**_The taller one._ **

Rich turned his gaze to Jeremy, to show the SQUIP he was paying attention to what it was saying.

**_He’s your new target._ **

Rich took a deep breath and walked over to Jeremy, avoiding Michael’s gaze. He repeated the words the SQUIP gave him, giving Jeremy a shove like the SQUIP had instructed.

Rich had to work hard to get Michael’s betrayed expression out of his mind that night.

**Author's Note:**

> this made me sad  
> come yell at me on tumblr: esperinkdraws


End file.
